Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner lasted only one inning Wednesday before getting tossed by the umpires following a dispute over balls and strikes and a sticky substance check.
Bumgarner was dealing to Florida’s Garrett Cooper in the bottom of the first when he threw a pitch he was sure would be called strike three. So sure was Bumgarner that he actually began walking towards the dugout. However, the pitch was called a ball, and the inning continued. Afterward, a visibly irritated Bumgarner made his way towards the dugout while having words with the home plate umpire. Suddenly, first base umpire Dan Bellino asked Bumgarner for a sticky substance check.
Not surprisingly, Bumgarner didn’t like the substance check and appeared to let Bellino know as much as he walked away. That protest seems to have resulted in Bumgarner getting ejected.
Multiple teammates restrained Bumgarner as he continued protesting his ejection.
Maybe asking for a substance check when a pitcher is already heated wasn’t the best idea? Unless, of course, getting Bumgarner ejected was Bellino’s objective. That seems to be former Major League pitcher Dan Haren’s read on the situation.
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